A SOUTHPORT cancer patient has married his partner in a moving hospice service.

A SOUTHPORT cancer patient has married his partner in a moving hospice service.

It was the day the couple had hoped would come - surrounded by their closest friends and family as they signed the register that made them husband and wife.

Paul Morris, who has been fighting a life-threatening tumour which could have killed him in just weeks, married girlfriend Vicki when his condition deteriorated.

But a few weeks after the 35-year-old’s wedding at Queenscourt Hospice on May 2, the devoted couple were back in their Newton Street home and settling into married life.

The newlyweds told the Southport Visiter about their special day - which was arranged in just two hours.

Vicki, also 35, said: “I went to see the registrar at 11am and she said she could conduct the service at 1pm, so my mum and dad were running around Southport trying to find us rings, we got my son Adam out of school and I bought my dress from Tesco.

“It was emotional, everyone was a bit teary, but it was such a happy day. It was more about us being married than the rest of it - the party or the dress - but it was so special, it wouldn’t have been any nicer if we would have got married somewhere else.

“The hospice staff were brilliant, they decorated the room for us with paper chains and hearts and flowers, it was lovely. They made us a cake and gave us champagne, it was a gorgeous day.”

The happy couple say the special day wouldn’t have been possible without generous donations for his treatment from Visiter readers.

Vicki said: “We just want to thank everyone, Paul wouldn’t be here and we wouldn’t be married. Even complete strangers who read about Paul in the Visiter have donated, Gill Fell from Livi’s did the last fundraiser and she had never met Paul. We also had an anonymous donation from a man in Formby who we haven’t been able to thank.”

Paul said tying the knot has done him the world of good.

“We should have done it ages ago. Everyone says I look better for it.

Paul, who has been battling cancer for two years, is waiting to continue with treatment and vowed: “I won’t stop fighting.”